Research accomplishments 1. We have identified an interaction between obesity and the landscape of regulatory DNA in the mouse colon. Our experiments define a pattern of enhancer utilization in the colon that resembles cancer progression and is initiated by obesity. 2. We are studying the ability of the transcription factor GATA3 to pioneer new enhancer sites in genomic chromatin. Our experiments indicate that GATA3 utilizes a two-step mechanism to create new enhancers. 3. We have made significant progress in understanding the genomic distribution of NuRD complex in breast cancer cells and how this enzyme contributes to the biological program of breast cancer. 4. We have made substantial progress in understanding the individual roles of de novo methyltransferase enzymes (DNMT3a, DNMT3b) in B lymphocyte activation and differentiation.